In 1806, English political philosopher and economist John Stuart Mill was born in London.

In 1861, North Carolina voted to secede from the Union.

In 1902, the United States ended a three-year military presence in Cuba as the Republic of Cuba was established under its first elected president, Tomas Estrada Palma.

In 1932, Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. (Because of weather and equipment problems, Earhart set down in Northern Ireland instead of her intended destination, France.)

In 1939, trans-Atlantic mail service began as a Pan American Airways plane, the Yankee Clipper, took off from Port Washington, N.Y., bound for Europe.

In 1961, a white mob attacked a busload of Freedom Riders in Montgomery, Ala., prompting the federal government to send in U.S. marshals to restore order.

In 1969, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Ap Bia Mountain, referred to as “Hamburger Hill” by the Americans, following one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.

In 1989, comedian Gilda Radner died in Los Angeles at age 42.

In 1996, the Supreme Court struck down a Colorado measure banning laws that protect homosexuals from discrimination.

Ten years ago: The Senate approved legislation to ban certain late-term abortions, but fell three votes shy of the total needed to override President Clinton’s threatened veto.

Five years ago: President Bush said he wouldn’t budge toward easing restrictions on trade and travel with Cuba until Fidel Castro’s government took steps to hold free and fair elections and began to adopt meaningful economic reform. FBI Director Robert Mueller said it was inevitable that suicide bombers like those in Israel would strike the United States. East Timor became the world’s newest nation. Paleontologist and author Stephen Jay Gould died in New York at age 60. Veteran Los Angeles TV newscaster Jerry Dunphy died at age 80.

One year ago: Iraq’s new unity government took office, five months after elections. Federal agents searched the Capitol Hill office of Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana as part of a bribery investigation. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was re-elected. An explosion killed five miners in an eastern Kentucky coal mine. Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro broke down at the start of the Preakness; Bernardini won the race. Barry Bonds tied Babe Ruth for second place on the career list with his 714th home run.